FreeConsultation:4074231117

MARCH12,2013
RecantedTestimonyinBatteryCases
byTheLawOfficeofJohnGuidryII

Everbeenunderalotofpressureandemotion,so
muchsothatyousaidsomethingyoushouldnthave
said?Ithappens.

Whathappenswhenacouplesnightofdrinkingturns
ugly?Everknownanugly,meandrunk?Theyexist,
believeme.Toseewhathappenswhenwebringtwosuchpeopletogether,
takealookattheequationsbelow:

[alcohol]+[arguing]+[anger]=[arrest]

Or,howaboutthisequallyvalidequation:

[earlymorninghours]+[yellingandscreaming]=[neighborscallingpolice]=
[arrest]

Asourcommunitycaretakers,thepoliceareinanawfulposition,astheycant
leavethedrunkcoupletogether,forfearofescalatingtroubles.Mostpolice
departmentshaveapolicyoftakingsomeoneanyonetojailjusttoseparate
andcooloffthesituation.Thus,thepolicefindareasontoarresteitherthe
man,orthewoman,andmakeadomesticviolencebatterycaseoutofthe
situation.

However,oncethetemperscalmdown,andthealcoholmetabolizes,some
folksregrettheirdrunkenswornstatementstopolice.

Inthemidstofanoftenemotional,alcoholsoakeddomesticdispute,copsfight
hardtogetaswornstatementfromanallegedvictimofdomesticviolence
battery.Onceclearheaded,canthesoberwitnessnowtellthetruthofthe
eveningseventswithoutfearofperjuryoranarrestforfilingafalsepolice
report?Iftheydo,thisiswhatwecallrecantation.

Whenanallegedvictimofdomesticviolencedecidestorecant,thiscanspell
troublefortheprosecution.Why?Becausetheprosecutionmaybebarred
fromcallingtheallegedvictimasawitness.Arecantationmaylimitthealleged
victimtotestifyingonlyaboutthenewstory.Prosecutorsarenotpermittedto
calltheallegedvictimmerelytoimpeachheraboutwhatsheinitiallytoldthe
policewhentheyknowthestoryhaschanged.But,theprosecutionwillattempt
toadmitthepriorstatementasapastrecollectionrecorded.Suchamoveis
oftenconsideredabusivewherethestatehasbeenputonnoticethattheir
victimhasrecanted(and,thatswhyitssoimportantforyoucriminaldefense
attorneysouttheretofileaMotioninLimine&MotiontoExcludethevictimas
awitness,etc.etc.).

AsstatedinHernandezv.State,31So3d873(Fla.4thDCA2010),

Section90.608(1),statesthatanyparty,includingthepartycallingthe
witness,mayattackthecredibilityofawitnessbyintroducingstatementsof
thewitnesswhichareinconsistentwiththewitnessspresenttestimony.
However,thesupremecourtinMortonv.State,689So2d259(Fla.1997)
recognizedtheriskofabusewhereaprosecutorcallsawitnesswhohas
previouslygivenastatementimplicatingthedefendantbutwhohassince
repudiatedthatstatement.Batesonv.State,761So2d1165(Fla.4thDCA
2000)Whereaprosecutorknowsthatthewitnesstestimonyattrialwill
befavorabletothedefendantbut,nonetheless,callsthewitnessforthe
purposeofimpeachingherwithherpriorstatement,thepracticemaybe
consideredabusivebecausethereisnolegitimateforensicpurposein
callingawitnesssolelytoimpeachher.id.

Oneofthemainlegalissuessurroundingtheadmissibilityofapaststatement
involvestheprosecutionsabilitytopresenttestimonyastotheaccuracyofthe
originalstatementtheyseektointroduce.Imagineadomesticbatterycase
whereonlythehusbandandwifearewitnesses,andthestateseeksto
introducethewifesinitialstatementaccusingherhusbandofbattery.Ifthe
wifewillnottestifyastotheaccuracyofherveryownstatement,whowill?
Withoutthewifessupport,doesheroldstatementhaveenoughcredibilityto
bepresentedtothejurythruthepoliceofficerthattookthestatement?Isntit
justanotherinadmissibleoutofcourtstatement?Sure,thepoliceofficercan
testifyastowhoactuallywrotethestatement,buthowcantheofficertestifyas
toitsaccuracyiftheofficerdidntpersonallywitnesstheincident?Ourappeals
courtsinFloridacurrentlydisagreeontheanswertothisquestion,andthe
FloridaSupremeCourtmaysoonstepintobreakthetie.

Anotherprobleminvolvesthedefinitionofrecantation.Isapriorrecorded
statementpermittedtogotothejurywhenawitnessdoessomethingother
thanrecants?Say,forexample,thattheallegedvictimofabatterytakesthe
witnessstand,butconvenientlyforgetswhathappened.Shedoesntdisagree
withherpreviousstatement,shesimplydoesntremember.Istheoriginalstory
recanted?Maytheoriginalstorynowforgottenbeshowntothejuryundera
technicalityknownaspastrecollectionrecorded?Forsomeanswers,lets
takealookattherecentcaseofMcNealv.State,2013WL709567,(Fla.App.
1stDCA2013).

McNealwasfoundguiltyoffelonybattery,domesticviolence.Hisgirlfriend
gaveaswornstatementtopolicethenightoftheincident.Afterwards,she
attemptedtohavethechargesdropped.Ofcourse,herattemptswere
unsuccessful(ifIhadanickelforeverytimesomeonesaid,ohthiscasewill
bedropped,shesgoingtodenythishappenedMaybeMcNealwasbelieving
thaturbanmyth).So,thestateproceedstoajurytrial,andtheycompelthe
appearanceofthegirlfriend.Attrial,thegirlfriendclaimedtonotrememberthe
incident,nordidsherememberwritingastatementforpolice.

Theprosecutorsoughttoadmitthegirlfriendsstatementasapastrecollection
recorded,andthejudgepermittedsuch.Thecourtreasonedthat,eventhough
thegirlfriendcouldnotverifytheaccuracyofherswornstatement,itsaccuracy
couldbeinferredfromthe911call,therecordedjailcalls,andpicturesofher
injuries.Andeventhoughtheappealscourtupheldtheadmissionofhersworn
statementasharmless,onejudgeonthepaneldisagreed,notingthatthe
allegedvictimswrittenstatementmadeatthetimeoftheincidentinquestion
wasimproperlyadmittedasapastrecollectionrecorded,findingthatonlythe
personwhomadethestatementcantestifyastoitsaccuracy,thusmostcourts
haverejectedtheconceptthattheaccuracyofthestatementatthetimeitwas
mademaybeprovenbycircumstantialevidence.Idat5.

Thedissentrightlypointsoutthatpastrecollectionrecordedcannotbetwisted
soastogivetheStateavehicleforimproperlyimpeachingitsownwitness.
Idat6.Asasidenote,IthinkthiscouldhavegonebetterforMcNealhadthe
girlfriendrecanted.Butwithaswornstatementalreadysigned,thatwould
havebeentroubleaswell

Andthereyouhaveit.Batterycasescanbetricky.Historically,oursystemof
justicehasrelieduponlivetestimonytoajury.Ifthetestimonyisnotlive,it
mustbeaccurateandreliablebeforebeingadmitted.Asyoucansee,our
courtsandjudgesdisagreeastowho(orwhat)determinesastatementis
accurate,andhence,admissible.

Postedin:BatteryandLegalIssues

Commentsareclosed.
Previous|Home|Next

320NMagnoliaAve,SuiteB1
Orlando,FL32801
Phone:4074231117
Fax:4074231118
Email:jguidrylaw@msn.com

Copyright20152017,JohnP.GuidryII

JUSTIALawFirmBlogDesign